Stick



(No Model.)

J. G. WEBSTER.

PRINTERS OOMPOSING STICK. 110.442,?90. Patented Dec. 16. 1890.

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U ITED STATEs JAMES G. 'EBSTER, OF ST. JOHNS, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HENRY B. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

PRINTERS COMPOSlNG-STICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,790, dated December 16, 1890.

Application filed April 26, 1890- Serial No. 349,599- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. WEBsTER, of

St. Johns, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Printers Composing- Sticks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. This invention consists in a printers composing-stick of novel construction, whereby it is made to practically serve the purpose of two sticksthat is, is both duplex and interchangeable in its operation and provides for separate and distinct measures or capacities being made and used at one and the same time or alternately, as desired, substantially as hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figurel represents a face or plan view of a printers composing-stick embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a near longitudinal side or edge view of the same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section upon the line 3 3 in Fig. 1,looking in the reverse direction to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section upon the line 4 at in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a transverse section upon the line 5 5 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 a further transverse section upon the line 6 6 in Fig. 1.

A is the frame or body part of the stick, having an end piece or support I) and longitudinal upturned ledge or flange 0 along its near or lower side. It is provided with two adjustable set bars or knees B O for holding, in conjunction with each other and with the end piece 1), two different measures of type for use either at the same time or alternately, as desired.

The one set bar or knee B, which may be called the main one, is fitted to slide over or along the inside face of the flange c, which has a longitudinal slot (1, extending nearly from end to end of the stick, to provide for the travel along it of a thumb-screw e, that holds the knee 13 up against the ledge c, and provides for its adjustment to any measure required, whether standard or otherwise, said slot d also serving to provide for the travel and adjustment of the device which holds the other knee C in position. The other set bar or knee 0, which is shorter or lower, is fitted to slide in or on and along the base part of the main knee in a similar manner. As shown, the base part of the knee 0 has a dovetail form in cross-section and fits into a corresponding groove in the base part of the knee B. The base parts of these knees have longitudinal slots ff extending nearly throughout their length, in line and corresponding in width with the slot (1 in the ledge orflange c; and the device, which provides for the adjustment or set of the lower knee 0 along the base part of the knee B to give any required measure, and which is in the form of a separable thumb-screw, consists of a screw-pin g, fitted to pass through the slots d and f f and to work into a finger-nut piece h. The other end of this screw-pin g has a head i on it,which is of less Width than length, so that by giving it a quarter-turn it can be slipped through the slots d and ff and the finger-piece h be inverted, if desired, to correspond with the thumb-screw e; but it is preferred to have the finger-piece arranged reversely, as shown, as it will be more out of the way and not interfere with the free use of the hand.

Both sides of the intermediate knee B where it crosses and rests on the broad fiat surface of the body or frame of the stick are beveled away, as at k 7;, thus making the bearing sides of the knee, which support the type, bevel inward instead of being at right angles, as in sticks nowiu use, where the feet of the type rest on the stick. These bevels 7.; 7c extend on the one side up the full length of the upright of the knee 13 and on the other side down to the base part of said knee or up to the angle for the other knee 0, which is similarly beveled away, as at on that side of the upright or leg thereof which is next adjacent to the leg or upright of the knee B. Thus, supposing that the small measure, which is the space comprised between the legs of the knees B and O, was filled up with type, there would be left a Vacant space corresponding to the one bevel 7s and the opposite bevel in around or at the sides of the feet of the body of type, and by similarly beveling, as at 70 the end piece 12 the same provision would be made by said bevel 7t and the opposite bevel In for the feet of the body of type in the larger measure comprised by the space between the end piece I) and the leg of the knee B. The object of these several bevels is to do away with the right-angled seats forthe feet of the type on the opposite sides of the body of type, which are a great annoyance when not accurate, and this is commonly the case, besides which, the vacant spaces left by the'bevels provide for the types adjusting themselves more readily to the uprights, and grit or dirt is prevented from accumulating to interfere with the seating of the type; also, such construction will lighten the compositors labor and enable him to do better and more rapid spacing out than was possible heretofore.

The object of having the knee 0 lower than the knee B is to facilitate the Work of the compositor when using narrow measures or type-holding spaces,inasmuch as it allows the thumb to manipulate the type with greater ease and facility than by the use of the long knee, and is of special advantage on tabular work or other intricate composition.

By the use of the two thumb or set screws the knees are firmly clamped and cannot slip even with abnormal pressure against them, While they also give strength and rigidity to the back of the ledge or flange on which they act.

This improved stick can be used with equal ad vantage in the news or job room, and therefore it is not only of a duplex character or forms two sticks in one, but is interchangeable and can be used with equal facility on newspaper or job work, while the beveling of the legs or uprights of the knees renders spacing out both easy and accurate. There are no cumbersome clasps or clamps projecting over its edges, and more flat surface of its frame or body can be used for a single width than on other sticks of equal length. It can be used either with one or two knees, and it is light and generally adaptable to all kinds of composition. The outer surface of its flange or ledge may be roughened on opposite sides of the slot therein, as shown in Fig. 2, to give 7 a better hold for the thumb or set screw.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A printers composing-stick having a frame or body part, upturned longitudinal ledge or flange, and end piece or support, and provided with two independent-ly-adjustable set bars or knees, the one being adjustable along said ledge or flange relatively to the end piece or support and the other being adjustable along the base part of the first knee relatively to the upright or leg thereof, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the frame or body part A, having an end piece or support I), upturn ed longitudinal ledge or flange 0, provided with a longitudinal slot a, the independentlyadjustable set bars or knees B 0, provided with independent slotsff in their base parts, the one of said knees being adjustable along the ledge or flange e and the other 0 being adjustable along the base part of the first knee relatively to the upright or leg thereof, the th umb-screw pin ,With its nut h, and the thumb-screw e, essentially as shown and described.

JAMES G. WEBSTER. Witnesses:

RoBT. DONAGHY, O. N. E. BOUCHER, 

